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Copyright, 1887, by W. T. Call. 



Press of B. W. Dinsmoss & Co., 12 Frankfort Street, New York. 



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No particular order has been followed in the arrange- 
ment of these autographs. They have been selected from 
a host of signatures of eminent persons, only those being 
admitted here which are distinguished by some marked 
peculiarity. In but a few instances, and then for special 
reasons, has it been thought desirable to reproduce auto- 
graphs made more than a century ag6. No other work of 
this character is known, according to the evidence of promi- 
nent collectors and dealers, to have been published in this 
country. Even a hasty glance at the following pages shows 
that the title Remarkable Autographs is not misapplied. 



i 



JP* gisiswxje ©otrjerjejfl itx W&xitiuQ. 



We have it on his own authority that Dr. Johnson wrote 
his unique and imperishable " Rasselas " in the evenings of 
a single week. Well, here is a calculation that may be- 
surprising and perhaps useful : A rapid penman can write 
thirty words in a minute. To 'do this he must draw his 
pen through the space of a rod, sixteen and one-half feet. 
In forty minutes his pen travels a furlong. We make, on 
an average, sixteen curves or turns of the pen in writing 
each word. Writing thirty words in a minute, we must 
make 480 turns to each minute ; in an hour, 28,800 ; in a 
day of only five hours, 144,000 ; in a year of 300 such 
days, 43,200,000. The man, therefore, who made 1,000,000 
strokes with his pen was not at all remarkable. Many 
men — newspaper writers, for instance — make 4,000,000. 
Here we have, in the aggregate, a mark 300 miles long to 
be traced on paper by such a writer in a year. 




QUnxnttttistits in %&u&mvitiu8. 



, Some of the peculiarities of every-day correspondence 
are so marked that they have become universally recognized, 
and the mere mention of the feminine hand, the school-boy 
hand, the business hand, the Italian hand, at once presents 
to the mind's eye a definite, well defined picture or idea. 
Every intelligent person, in fact, is more or less familiar with 
a large number of distinct styles of chirogra'phy. At a not 
uncertain point, however, in the philosophy of handwriting 
common knowledge stops, and the astute "chiromancer" 
goes on alone. The indications by which he judges char- 
acter are somewhat perplexing to the uninitiated. He (or 
she) is likely to be a very learned individual. He regards 
the capital A as the symbol of strength and beauty united. * 
When the strokes are firm and do not run off into flourishes, . 
the " strong barring " is taken as indicative of a forceful 
will. A loop, at the top of this letter is evidence of a strong 
sense of beauty. When the capital takes the form of the 
small a, he discerns simplicity and clearness in the ideas of 
the one who wrote it. A loop to the small d calls for 
tenderness and generosity, while the three cornered capital 
D suggests excentricity and imagination. We are alsC told 
that "an F with a flying top betrays imagination and 
indifference, while a curly one shows cultivation and a 
sensitive mind."- A curly H shows poetry and art, and a 
curly I gives grace and sense of beauty, while a straight 




one gives a higher and more precise nature to the artistic- 
instinct arid increases the poetic faculty. Then it is said- 
that " disproportionate loops betray self-assertion," and 
that we should " look out for them in letters like P and L 
and Y." Again : " Letters stopping short at their finals 
show economy ; long and extended finals with spacer 
between the words indicate generosity, if not extravagance. 
Inward curves denote egotism. Stops are also most dis- 
tinctive. Heavy and black, they betray sensuality ; long, 
they denote vivacity and originality. An i dotted with a 
fleck indicates recklessness. Absence of stops shows want 
of caution and an unsuspicious nature." And so on. These 
quotations, however, are probably sufficient to satisfy the 
reader that a superior knowledge of characteristics in hand- 
writing has created a kind of fine art — so fine, indeed, that 
very few should hope to make progress in it much beyond 
the first " pshaw ! " in the course. Stripped of its nonsense,, 
the subject is full of interest, and is well worthy of serious 
consideration. To call a knowledge of character indica- 
tions in handwriting " grammatomancy," and trace it back 
to the cradle of palmistry, astrology and mysticism, may 
be all very well, but it is much more to the purpose-, and 
gives better satisfaction generally, to have a little more 
realism to present. The truth is that the utility of the art, 
or science, or pastime, has not yet become patent. Fifty 
years ago the mortality table, on which the success of the 
life insurance system now stands, would have been of little 
value except as a curiosity. Perhaps In another fifty years 



character indications in handwriting may have become an 
important study. There are numerous evidences that a 
logical method will after a while be applied to the subject. 
Instead of basing conclusions on Chaldean myths, attempts 
are being made, here and there, to get at general character- 
istics by comparing the handwritings of individuals of a. 
distinct mental class. As an instance we may cite the 
paper recently read to a number of Phflad&phians on 
" The Handwriting of the Insane," in which it was shown 
that the giving way of the mind in an educated person is 
often indicated in bad spelling, blotting, frequent erasures, 
the absurd use of parentheses, italicization and underscor- 
ing in excess. Insane pride and obstinacy ,'it was said, take 
to capitals, and make frequent use of the letter " P," which 
becomes perfectly enormous. Many of these indicia were 
found in the handwriting of a public man who recently 
became insane. In him, too, was noted another peculiarity, 
a tendency to commence at the right instead of the left 
hand side of the paper, this being carried so far that often 
he would not leave himself room on the paper to complete 
even his signature. If what has been learned in this single 
line of inquiry is true in San Francisco and London and 
elsewhere, it must be regarded as an important fact. There 
are many, however, who would like to know the why, and 
so long as this little word stands out unchallenged the 
" grammatomancers " will hold a strong position, for they 
always have the stars to fall back on. The graphological 
chemist puts moonshine in his retort when he finds candor 




in an open a and secrecy in a closed o. But we all can see 
something in pronounced tendencies, and can readily ap- 
preciate the significance of striking peculiarities and affec- 
tations in the sign-manuals of celebrated persons. That 
the autograph, more than all other writing, is characteristic 
of the individual, there can be no fair doubt. If it were 
not so there would be no autograph collectors, and where 
is there an intellectual household without a few treasured 
autographs? At this point it is not inappropriate to pre- 
sent a modest appeal from the composing-room, just as 
received ] What the compositor asks (but at present can- 
not obtain) is, not that the n and u be made alike, but that 
each have its distinctive shape*; not that the t be made 
similar to 1, but that it be crossed, or else formed after a 
fashion much in vogue, namely, a stroke more or less 
sloping, with a loop from the bottom to the centre on the 
side farthest from the letter following it ; and lastly, that 
the i be dotted, an omission which seems to meet with 
great favor among authors, though it is very tantalizing to 
the compositor, since in bad manuscript the undotted i may 
be taken to represent either c, e, or r, or even supposed to 
form part of what in reality is the letter m. But if the i's 
were dotted, and the t's crossed, few complaints would 
emanate from the printing offices, or, indeed, ever be heard, 
so great an aid is the due placing of these letter belongings 
to tire task of deciphering. 

June, 1887. .W. T. Call. 




sT \t 




VVws\, 




F. E. Spinner. What signature would grace the open- 
ing page of a work of this character with more exact 
appropriateness than the famous " grapevine " autograph. 
For more than the lifetime of a generation it has been the 
despair of the graphologist, the reader of character in 
handwriting, the treasure-trove of the collector, and the 
delight 6i the bank cashier. A child can imitate it to. the 
point of recognition, but no expert has yet succeeded in 
catching its true spirit. This, historic " string of eels "~is 
indeed sui generis, peculiar to itself, and marks the only 
instance in which the autograph makes the fame of the 
man. The fac-simite is from an official document bearing 
the superscription, " Treasurer's Office, September 27, 1862." 
It is considered, flourish and all, one of the best specimens 
extant of the renowned hieroglyphics of the Treasurer of 
the United States at the birth of the greenback and the 
"shinplaster." The writing on the Government notes is 
less free and natural than that here given, in which a pecu- 
liar flexibility fills the place of mechanical stiffness. The 
reader is cautioned not to attempt character reading in 
this truly remarkable autograph. While these pages were 
in preparation a letter was shown to the writer, to which 
was attached the ever-familiar signature, executed as well 
as the failing eyes of a man at the age of 85 would permit. 
By his-autograph the world has known him. % 




~ % Bismarck. The inexperienced chirographer may be 
surprised to learn that the apparent B in ..the first half of 
this autograph is an s, and that the queer- looking character 
at the beginning is a B with the prefix v. The signature 
is, of course, in German. Everybody knows what to 
expect in the handwriting of the most prominent figure in 
the political world-*— the "iron-willed Chancellor." The 
caa#ns applicable to writing of a different style maybe 
employed in this instance by those familiar with the char- 
acteristics of the German hand. The strokes are strong, 
and the letters are formed with energy unmistakable. 





J. KT Emmet. Without a key, few could guess what 
this " queer,' weird thing" is. Inimitable in his talent, 
the smiling * Fritz " is also inimitable in his chirography. 
And surely no one envies him in either respect. The charm 
of his lullabies, cuckoo songs and Tyrolean warbles is be- 
yond the reach of envy, and in a different sense so is his 
autograph. It is a badly constructed plagiarism on an im- 
perfect cobweb, and cannot be honestly analyzed. 



7 



*^r* 




Jay Gould. The broad, plain shafts, of which this 
signature is composed, stand out cold and watchful, like 
the sentinels of a treasure house. With a little urging of 
the imagination the capitals may be regarded' as monu- 
ments to wealth and power. The significance of tJfcs signa- 
ture is as great in reality as in the fancy. It was once 
placed on a check for $1,500,000. This is a business auto- 
graph—that of a man who has the genius to succeed, and 
who, if report says truly, knows it himself, for he has been 
credited with the remark that if he stood penniless and 
without influence on the steps of the Stock Exchange he 
would acquire wealth in an incredibly short time. His 
home impulses are tender and ordinary, and are only 
slightly indicated in this specimen. 






Rqscoe Conkling. Here is a fine subject for the 
student in grammatomancy. , It is perfectly clear, and has 
those fine loops and curves that are pleasing to the eye 
without being essential # to the main stems. The graceful 
sweep of the C in particular may be taken as indicative of 
a. mind that loves to embellish a hard fact so that it may 
make an impression without seeming to be hammered into 
place. A direct and minute comparison may be success- 
fully made between the chirography and the oratory of this 
distinguished man. The intent is never lost sight of in 
either case. 





Theophile Gautier. One of the most curious auto- 
graphs of this or any ether time is that here repro- 
duced. There is no affectation about it. The natural 
course of the pen has been followed. In his general writ- 
ing Gautier produced many a page- of legible, and even 
beautiful, manuscript in prose and poetry of the highest or- 
der of French genius. He may be called a true calligra- 
phist, that is, a good penman. This does not, however, apply 
to his autograph, which is not only too small, but has de- 
generated in the hurry and familiarity of the signature into 
a step-ladder scrawl of minute proportions. A very good 
authority has said that the author- of such a hand could 
never by any possible chance be an ordinary person. 






Emile ZpLA. The world may scoff, but Zola will 
continue to write books full of the most barefaced realism. 
And the world will go on reading his books and keep him 
in the place he has long held, of the most popular novelist 
of the day. He is the greatest genius in realism, despite, 
or perhaps by means of, his evident belief that nothing is 
too slimy to be handled. The authorities in this country 
think differently, and his works in translations are sup- 
pressed. Howells and other masters of a tamer realism ad- 
mire his genius. Zola writes a plain hand, and in his signa- 
ture runs the strokes where they naturally go, without 
regard to elegance or taste. He is after the actual,, and in 
his books, as in his autograph, he drops his lines into the 
depths. 



B 








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Sitting Bull. Like the penmanship of the school- 
boy, this autograph must be taken as unformed, if not pre- 
mature. It is not possible to form a fair judgment of its 
prominent characteristics. That so celebrated an Indian 
should be able to wield a pen as well as a tomakawk is not 
in itself remarkable. Whether the dropping of the capital 
letters is significant of the natural craftiness of the red 
men, as a race, has not been ascertained, owing to the scarcity 
of specimens from which to form a conclusion. 



' E~* 



Geo. Francis Train. This is the train 
on which many a great idea has come into 
the present century. The track takes a long, 
graceful sweep, doubles enigmatically on 
itself, shoots off suddenly into * a mag- 
nificent G, and disappears in a flare 
of light, forming in its course a 
beautiful horseshoe curve. There 
are other styles of autograph in 
the repertoire of this singular 
individual, but this one, life 
size and genuine, has come 
to the writer on a semi- 
business communication, 
and is beyond doubt 



characteristic of the 
of the greatest 
century have 
his brain, only 
more evenly 
lects. And 
able cosmic 



entirely 
man. Some 
ideas of the 
come from 
to be utilized by 
balanced intel- 
now this unspeak- 
philosopher eschews 
audible communion 
with the world, and pass- 
es most of his time, in 
pleasant weather, on a favor- 
* ite bench in Madison Square, 
surrounded with hosts of little 
children who ply him with ques- 
tions, and problems which only 
children and the really great think of. 




v;sSses6g^2 




Jenny Goldschmidt. The " magic of a voice," which 
brought the world to the feet of Jenny Lind, does not find 
its co-ordinate in her chirography. Her autograph as here 
presented is striking and legible at the same time, but is 
devoid of those wonderful qualities which marked her voCal 
efforts, unless, indeed, the conjunction and execution of the 
y and G may afford a subject for the analytical mind of 
the expert in handwriting. 








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Bfrify* 



vpts 



William Shakespeare. Scholars have accepted only 
three of the autographs of the man who represents the 
entire genius of his .country as genuine, and even the 
signature in the British Museum bears the stigma of doubt- 
ful authenticity. It is not out of place, then, to reproduce 
here that remarkable find of recent date which is closer 
than the others to the signature on Shakespeare's will. 
It would hardly be said, even on a thorough acquaintance 
with the quaint style of writing of the Elizabethan period, 
that the great dramatist's autograph is in any way hand- 
some. The peculiarities of the chirography of the times 
may be seen somewhat more clearly, perhaps, in the follow- 
ing full-size fac-simile of the signature of " Good Queen 
Bess " herstlf. ' 





4 




M^L^% 




Mary E. Walker, M. D. It can hardly be called 
discourteous to say that the famous doctor is to the eye 
not less agreeable in demi-male attire than in her autograph. 
The difficulty of assigning the proper sex from the general, 
appearance is typified in the variety of slant to the letters, 
which makes it puzzling to fix upon the slope of the name 
as a whole. The curious whip-lash flourish may be taken 
as expressive of singled disappointment, anger, and deter- 
mination. U is evident that the pen, at least, must give in,, 
however stubborn the world may be. 




Victoria R. The first autograph of her Majesty, in 
the above pair, is an exact reproduction of a genuine sig- 
nature made in the year 1886. The second is a4so a perfect 
fac-simile of the Queen's signature as written in the year in 
which she ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Great 
Britain and Ireland, beginning June 20, 1837. The two 
writings thus represent the extremes of a period of nearly 
half a century. Comment on the truly remarkable simi- 
larity of the signatures of the Queen at the age of 18 and 
at the age of 67 is wholly superfluous. At first glance the 
autographs appear identical. The flourish following the 




royal R, with the somewhat elevated period, and the loop 
and long sweep of the V, present the principal variations of 
the later writing. When the early signature was created 
her Majesty was already accomplished in music, drawing,. 
and the continental languages, With botany as her -favorite 
study among the sciences. She had been taught to seek 
health and acquire fearlessness in those outdoor recreations 
that have-ever been regarded as the true foundation^ on 
which the power and greatness of the English mind is 
built. These autographs are particularly interesting just at 
the present time, as this is the great Jubilee year in which 
the United Kingdom will celebrate the most successful and 
satisfactory fifty years ever covered in the reign of a single 
sovereign. The Queen was born May 24, 181 9, ascended 
to the throne June 20, 1837, was proclaimed June 21/1837, 
and was crowned June 28, 1838. Victoria, Queen, is known 
by name and fame to more living human beings than any 
other individual ever has been at any one moment. Her 
autograph is a splendid specimen of calligraphy. 









Edgar A. Poe. A professional chirographist, who has 
probably made a closer study of handwriting as a sci- 
ence than any other person in England or America, pro- 
nounces Poe " the supreme prince of manuscript." It is 
perplexing to the student in chirography to find that the 
genius which created Annabel Lee and The Bells figured 
anyway but fantastically in manuscript. Poe's social 
letters and acknowledgments of invitations v might serve as 
models for steel plate engravers. The above specimen of 
his signature is nearer the average of his penmanship than* 
most others extant. It was selected from a number for 
this reason. Poe's genuine autograph has a high value in 
the collector's market, and is fast becoming rare. 



\ 





Walt Whitman. This autograph is a genuine surprise. 
It is, indeed, entirely ordinary, not at all outlandish, and 
even tends downward — what ! no ambition ? Whence, then, 
those acrobatic, juggleristic, prestidigitatorial feats with 
language ? Robert Buchanan, the Scotch-English critic, 
playwright, "and poet (a good one in spots) rises to explain. 
He christens the " good, gray poet " of Camden (N. J.) the 
American Socrates, but greater, and likens him to the 
founder of Christianity. This modern Titan lives " in a 
land [N. J. is a part of the U. S.] of which he will one day 
be known as the chief literary glory," and he (Mr. B.) has 
sees "face to face the wisest and noblest, the most truly, 
great of all literary men." Of course it would be useless, 
and even sacrilegious, to attempt to dissect the great one's 
sign-manual, for Mr. Buchanan is speaking for a coterie of 
latter-day poets and prophets. It is not out of place, how- 
ever, to reproduce the words of one who has seen a real 
Whitman manuscript. " The handwriting is bold, rugged 
almost, as would be expected in one who aims at thought 
and truth, and disregards "the means by which ordinary 
people do ordinary things. If he makes a mistake, he 
scratches it out or rubs it out with his finger. Having 
seized an idea he puts it down^pn anything at hand. A 
single page may represent brown, blue and white paper and 
red and black ink, with some pencil marks." In this light 
the above signature is useless to the character reader. 



'///// 



djj^22i 




James G. Blaine. Note the striking family resemblance 
in these pei\ marks and those of Roscoe Conkling. Mr.* 
Blaine at this time is the most prominent American citizen 
in private life. His autograph is plainly indicative of his 
masterly command of the pen, and everybody knows that 
the same adjective describes his manner of handling men. 
The small letters are made in a most decisive way, and show 
self-confidence and wonderful energy. The capitals are 
somewhat squeezed, as if their author lacked the breadth of 
thought which belongs to the genius of all time. A man 
who embodies the vigorous rushing spirit of his generation, 
Mr Blaine's autograph in its entirety is a good index to his 
rapiri^ and brilliant career. It partakes of the most dis- 
tinguishing qualities of the man, even to his magnetic 
presence. For his signature certainly has a fascination in 
it. A physician once tested the Senator's nerves by having 
him extend his arm to full length and hold his thumb and 
forefinger as close to each other as 'possible without touch- 
ing. Many of us will say that he need not have looked be- 
yond the autograph. ^ 



■'-■■'. : 









im& i • 





Kalakaua R. Long live the King! About twelve years 
ago his Majesty came to the United States. With one ex- 
ception, he is the only reigning potentate who has honored 
us with a visit. The queen, the interesting and accom- 
plished Kapiolani, has recently made the long trip across 
the continent. The King of the Sandwich Islands writes 
well. In this we may, perhaps, see the beneficent influ- 
ence of our glorious land of the free, for nearly all the trans- 
oceanic business of the Hawaiian Islands is done with the 
United States. It is pleasant and reassuring to know that 
although half of the 80,000 people on the islands are full- 
blooded natives, and hence somewhat inclined to uncivilized 
things, they all are governed by a King who shows earnest- 
ness and breadth of conception, m his sign manual ; wnich 
should be used for a running headline in all the copy books 
needed in the schools of the Sandwich Islands. 




& 



-^^ cS 




Ouida. Each reader will look at the above writing with a 
different sensation. To one it will seem coarse, unwoman- 
ly, pretentious ; to another, bold and strong ; to a third, 
commonplace and unattractive. And so on: for in this 
instance, at least, judgment yields to prejudice or bias. 
There is one characteristic, however, that all can appreci- 
ate together. What appears to be flourish is really under- 
scoring. Tl>e same weakness is found throughout her 
manuscript. It shows earnestness that needs to* be 
propped up, and it may indicate rancor. The masculine 
form of the letters and their unconnected march are not 
affected, as in the writing of some fashionable young 
ladies nowadays. Those who are familiar with Quida's 
books (and who is not?) will hardly be surprised at her 
chirography. It seems to be in some way a most befitting 
thing. It is not handsome, nor is it particularly ugly, but 
it compels attention. 




D. L. Moody. The giant is not a creation of the fancy 
or a thing of the past — in the matter of autographs. Now 
we will see how Mr. Moody's pen work conforms with his 
methods. Here, then, is a paragraph, found in a Chicago 
paper, which does not in any way refer to the autograph of 
the celebrated Evangelist : " One thing" about Mr. Moody, 
eloquent or ineloquent, when he speaks to .an audience, 
large or small, he does not spare himself ; he is not afraid 
of exertion. It is as if he would not tolerate an indolent 
fibre in his being, least of all when in the pulpit. Nobody 
in his presence ever thought to say : ? Thou sluggard.' 
There are a good many ministers who, if they were to bear 
in mind that remark of John Brown, l It's a mighty big 
thing for a man to do all he can,' would presently find a 
notable increase in their congregations and in their power 
for good over them." No, Mr. Moody does not "spare 
himself." It is not necessary to be in his presence to 
know that he is not a sluggard. 



ir&y 




W. Hogarth. "See, what a beauty!" as the poet 
remarks of the tiger couchant. Then try to reconcile this 
with your impressions of the work of the great engraver of 
the first half of the last century. The effect will bo 
mystifying. It is easy to discover the artist in the exact 
and delicate chirography, but the characteristic that* the 
world of his day would not let him depart from, and which 
the world of to-day always sees in the mention of his name,, 
does not appear at all in the above. It is simply impossible 
to associate this handsome autograph with the bulging 
cheeks, idiotic leering, and beery passion of the vulgar tales 
in picture that were the delight of his time and are the 
wonder of the present day. Hogarth fried painting and 
high art, but the people would not have it from him, and 
now we have two geniuses to admire — one in " The Rake's 
Progress " and similar productions, the other in his auto- 
graph. )The critics say of the former that the moral of hi& 
satire is always stern, true and unmistakable. 



* 




: LMMmJii(iil&: 




mlMm^SM^^^ 



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Brigham Young.* A plain and straightforward bit of 
penmanship. In this respect it is different from the cele- 
brated Mormon's theory of happiness. It is a good signa- 
ture to be attached to a-letter seeking proselytes to the so- 
called faith, for the least wise can as easily read it as print. 
It is entirely praiseworthy in this regard, and in its lack of 
pronounced character there is something soothing tq jaded 
eyes. Jaded hearts, on the other hand, will not so calmly 
regard it. But there is nothing uncanny about the writing 
itself, and this fact gives contradiction to the startling news 
of a few months ago that the deceased Mormon, after ten 
years of quiet sleep, had suddenly appeared on earth again, 
to oppose in person the threatening ogre' known in Utah 
and elsewhere as the Edmunds bill. 




■ 




l.fXi^ 



T. Carlyle. This is an instance in which the man. 
himself stares at you through his autograph. What a weird, 
crabbed, fantastic, erratic, cabalistic, dyspeptic looking 
thing it is ! But npte its rugged strength and. originality. 
Who ever saw such a T before > It is a cross of German 
and English equivalents, just as the Chelsea Philosopher is a 
cross of the German and the English mind. Carlyle ever 
had a queer idea of capitals. His wonderfully abstract 
essays bristle with them, and add their mite to mystify the 
reader. He does not care what you think of his chiro- 
graphy. It is jagged and individual, and has a great idea 
in it somewhere; and that is enough. If you will see some- 
thing grand and beautiful in his autograph, he, if alive, 
would perhaps see something heroic in yours. If yes, 
then you must indeed be a demigod. So, do your best, 
and say you see the splendid light, whether you do or not. 




l^^?/^^i 



W. D. Howells. This diminutive specimen of the 
handwriting of our best-paid novelist ought to be a source 
of gratification to some of his critics. It is almost effemi- 
nate, and seems to justify a part of the meaning of a 
writer who cynically speaks of the novelist as " that gentle 
apostle of man niillinery." Of course we all know that 
this is unfair, unjust. True, we might expect such a signa- 
ture as this after some of the doses of sweetened puritanism 
to be found in " The Minister's Charge," or after the 
monotonous commonplaceness and weak humor of " Their 
Wedding Journey," but it hardly accords with the strong, 
perfect character pictures to be found in that masterpiece 
of genuine realism, "A Modern Instance." In one way 
this specimen is characteristic. It is subdued, easy, neatly 
connected, and inoffensive — just the kind of writing to suit 
a drawing-room taste. And yet no writer of the day has 
made so many artistic touches and photographed so truly 
people and phases of life that we know aire actual. Real- 
ism is a question of taste and courage. Compare this 
signature with Zola's and imagine the best elements of 
each combined in one, and you will have a fit sign-manual 
for the great realist yet to appear. 




Laura D. Bridgman. Considering the conditions, this 
is perhaps the most remarkable signature ever penned? 
Made blind, deaf and dumb by a fever in her infancy, Laura 
Bridgman is the most celebrated exponent of the possibilities 
of the senses. She has developed such a power in judging 
the intelligence of a stranger by a touch of the hand that 
at one time she was regarded as possessing what is called 
the "sixth sense." Equally marvelous is her command of 
the idea of proportion as exhibited in her well constructed 
and interesting autograph. 





W. T. Sherman. Our doughty and illustrious warrior 
chief (well named William, signifying bold, valiant ; and 
Tecumseh, meaning big injun) photographs his conqueror 
nature in his autograph, of which he is pardonably proud. 
After virtually closing the war by his triumphant march, 
through Georgia- and the Carolinas, he turns his victorious 
eagles toward new fields of conquest. Note the. ambitious 
loop of the T. His later struggles have been (see daily 
papers) against the pouting graces of the weaker sex; hence 
his occasional defeat, though gallantly contesting. Here is 
the latest dispatch from the field of battle to the Spri?igfield 
Republican : " General Sherman, who, it is well known, has 
a free and easy way with pretty girls, came along where 
the young lady sat writing a letter at a table^ Bending 
over her the grizzly old veteran picked up the. half finished 
sheet and turning it over to a blank page put his autograph 
on it in bold form. She [sweet enemy] tore it in pieces 
right before him and took a new sheet, baffling the presum- 
ing gallant, who beat a retreat." Napoleon could have done 
no better. 





Ch. Gounod. This is said to be not an "average speci- 
men of the quality of the handwriting of the world-appre- 
ciated composer of "Faust," He is usually, a good penman 
of the neat, clear, small-letter style prevalent among French- 
men of the less extreme type. He is accused of eccentricity 
and of finical faults, which do not appear in the above 
signature^, at least' to any appreciable extent. It has, on the 
other hand, the stamp of ingenuousness not at all incom- * 
patible with the genius which is acknowledged to be his. 
Strauss composed enticing melodies in an artistic way, but 
Gounod with similar resources works on a higher plane. 
If he has encroached on the fantastic and unreal, he does 
not give more than a hint of his idea in this autograph. 




-i 




CC^^€€4U^ 



P. T. Barnum. It is useless to overhaul this sign- 
manual for the meaning that most everybody who believes 
in the mirror qualities of handwriting thinks must be hid- 
den therein. Of course by this is meant that element of the 
intellect which, when largely developed, 4nay be called the 
bump ofhumbug. The greatest of all showmen has certainly 
been the most stupendous of all humbuggers. But his has 
ever been genuine humbug. He knows that every one else 
knows that he knows that everybody knows that he is hum- 
bugging. Human nature loves to be fooled, but hates to be 
swindled. P. T. Barnum always gives more than the value 
in the money. His signature is as unpretentious as his 
private life. 



•mi 



C/"""7 C <*~o i^X 




Oscar Wilde. There is no doubt as to the significance < 
of this autograph. Made at a .time when the craze for yal- 
lery-greenery art was in full bloom, it shows the best effort 
of the faithful apostle of the too-too in attempting to put 
the soul of his convictions into plebian ink-trails. As there 
is nothing, similar to it to be met with in ordinary places, 
it may not have been libelous to attribute to him the remark, 
that, " to disagree with three-fourths of the public on all 
points is one cf the first elements of sanity." Alas, for the • 
star of Oscar ! The susceptible young lady of the day is 
now truant to the aesthetic style of chirography, and she 
must just at present be "dashing and straight and strong, 
not romantic and yearning." Some day she will return to 
her earlier love. 




ifcaWi- ».^ppie< 



-*-*. 



« 




G. Washington. — -M. Washington. History . is the- 
slave of circumstances, and as the foundation of the gov- 
ernment is the greatest event in'a nation's career, these two 
autographs are the most enduring pair that this country will 
ever know. The one who, by courtesy of the times, was 
called " Lady Washington," and the other, who will always 
be known as "the father of his country," do not figure at 
all extraordinarily in their penmanship. Some writer has 
observed : " What firmness and dignity is expressed in the 
signature of Washington ;" but these qualities are surely 
difficult to discover in the writing as a whole, or in the 
letters separately. They are not seen, for instance, in the 
n's the s the cross of the t or even in the capitals. Still, 
wjio would wish that these autographs had been pro- 
nounced in style? 



IM- 








'0HM 




Byron. Look over all the other autographs herein, and 
then judge whether it is straining the fancy to see intense 
personality in this. All of us will agree in thinking 
it not the accepted characteristic hand of a poet. It is 
genuine, there can be no doubt on that point. The pen 
was guided by a natural impulse. There is a nervous 
energy about the pen's course as it sweeps back upon 
itself that is strikingly apparent. Now, if these conclusions 
are correct, the poet throws himself into his autograph; for 
Byron's genius was of all geniuses the product of his per- 
sonality. His mind created all those unequalled beauties 
only in relation to himself. It was not an imaginary hero, 
but he himself who " gazed upon the glittering sea below, 
whence the broad moon rose circling into sight." An 
astute critic says: " Never, in the freest flight of his thoughts, 
did he liberate himself from himself." The " nervous 
energy " above noted cannot be missed even by those who 
read Byron's greatest work for the sake of the moral shock. 
The grammatomancers and single-letter analyzer's will 
find much more difficulty in this autograph than has the 
writer hereof 




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Don'd C Mitchell. This well-known American gen- 
tleman of letter is prepossessing in the every-day attire of 
his name. The world recognizes him quicker, however, in 
the assumed guise of "Ik Marvel," as he gracefully, half- 
pathetically, gives himself over to the " Reveries of a 
Bachelor." Successful in literature, lie has lived to a time 
when he finds the chief duties and pleasures of life in de- 
voting his energie's to finding what a New England farm is 
good for. He writes- a good hand, from which little can be 
guessed as to his general convictions. 




CA 




G. Dore. Although sloping the other way, the signature 
of this peculiar French artist, who has reached a height in 
fame the " why" of which is hard for many to understand, at 
once brings to mind the remarkable parallel it make's with 
that of Mademoiselle Rosa Bonheur. But in the case of 
" Golden Gustave" the writing is characteristic. Those 
weird, night-mare illustrations, which some have admired so 
much as, scenes from Dante, may easily be understood to 
have been made by the hand that executed the above 
chirological fantasm. " His works," says a fairly apprecia- 
tive critic, " show him to be an artist,in spite of his hastiness 
and mannerism." The latter word is easily correct ; 
" hastiness^" rests on the assertion that the artist has exe- 
cuted fully fifty thousand designs. His sign-manual is a 
correct guide to his art. 



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F. S. Key. The only interest which attaches to this 
autograph is that created by the fact of its haying been 
made by the hand which wrote that exceedingly common- 
place but immeasurably popular song, The Star-Spangled- 
Banner, which is as well known in the United States as the 
Marseillaise in France, or the Rhine Song in Germany. The 
song was suggested and partially written while the author 
was detained in the British fleet during the bombardment 
of Fort Henry, of which he was an anxious .spectator. He 
was many .years District Attorney of the District of Colum- 
bia, and in the early part of the century had some reputa- 
tion as a poet. There is little to be-said of his chirography 
except such criticism as may be made on the obscure for- 
mation of the initials. 



7P*~ 





Benja. Franklin. Here are seen two peculiarities dis- 
tinctly united. Every letter in the name is the acme of 
exactness and simplicity, while -attached to the whole we 
find a prolonged, mysterious, groping sweep of the pen, 
which seems to have wandered from the plain path in search 
of the unattainable. We will go to no less a person than 
Sir Humphrey' Davy for a quieting explanation of the 
incongruity. That eminent analyzer of nature looks into 
the construction of Franklin's mind, and finds' that it was 
endowed " equally for the uninitiated and for the philoso- 
pher." It is not necessary for our purpose to go farther. 
The world loves Poor Richard for his common sense, his 
simplicity. We see these elements in every stroke- of his 
signature proper. The philosophers may find ail the com- 
fort they wish in the dreamy, uncertain flourish. In his 
youth he was a practical printer, and early learned the value 
of plain penmanship., but he had enough of the wandering 
spirit in him to cause him to run away from his relatives. 
In Franklin's character and in his autograph, the " unin- 
itiated " idea prevails. 




Bartley Campbell. Ordinarily an inquiry into the 
significance of an individual's handwriting is most success- 
ful when the search is directed toward undercurrents, or, in 
the case of an extremist or pretender, to what may be 
termed overcurrents. r The presence of unmistakable in- 
dices may be regarded as significant, yet their absence 
must not be taken as proof of anything. The signature of 
this lamented author of several extremely successful 
dramas of a not elevated order of stage art is one from 
which little can be gleaned. It is difficult to tell what im- 
pulse guided the pen which formed that unique C into its 
combination. His final breakdown is not foreshadowed 
herein, by adopting the deductions of the Philadelphian 
who has studied the chirography of many brain-sick un- 
fortunates. 






O. W, Holmes. Without inquiring into the prevailing 
mental tendencies of the ever brilliant Professor, let us- 
take his autograph as a good specimen of a recognized 
graphological truth. A writer for the Harpers brought the 
idea out, and the newspapers immediately seized it, and 
made it current throughout the land. In condensed form 
it is as follows : " The handwriting of distinguished Bos- 
tonians is usually more delicate and perspicuous than that 
of distinguished New Yorkers, as any one who has ever 
received epistles from Mr. Lowell, Dr. Holmes, Prof. Nor- 
ton, or the late Mr. Longfellow will testify. More pains is 
taken in forming the letters, and the total result wears ar ( 
air .rather of neatness than of dispatch." So far as gener- 
ally known, these statements have not been controverted, 
and each reader must decide for himself which of the two 
styles of chirography (and hence which order of talent) is 
preferable. * 







Wilkie Collins. The pen has taken hold of the pa- 
per in this instance, with remarkable vim. There is no 
hesitation, no wavering ; it hurries on its course in a most 
rapid and untrammeled flight, that is at once business-like, 
and .not suggestive of mere fanciful impulses. But the cen- 
tral thought, to which everything else seems to be subsidiary, 
is the mysterious and wholly characteristic C, which is orig- 
inal, and, with its cross-scoring, decidedly odd. It captivates 
the attention. It is the one distinct impression which the 
autograph leaves when removed from sight. •Wilkie Collins 
is the acknowledged master- of plot. His fiction lives through 
its singular power in fascinating the reader by means of a 
peculiar central idea. . 



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Henry Clay Lukens. Those who know " Erratic En- 
rique " do not care anything about his autograph from the 
point of view of these pages, for it is no more suggestive of 
anything erratic than his personality is of any one not all 
geniality and good sense. The " New York News man " 
has sown smiles right and left all over this happy land, and 
" Erratic Enrique's " books have not lost public appreciation 
as those of mere comic writers inevitably do in a short time. 
Our subject has for many years been one of the hardest 
working practical journalists in the country,- and is now in 
harness, attached to one of the liveliest and most valuable of 
our weekly journals. "His signature is a good enough one 
for any man who doesn't want to know how to whine or 
scratch, and always trots along on the sunny side of the 
street. % 




John Hancock. What a signature this was to be- the 
first on the great Declaration document. It is a sort of de- 
claration of independence in itself. There is no getting 
away from its Gibraltar meaning. Formidable, honest, and 
unmistakable, the autograph of the President of the Con- 
tinental Congress does full justice to his character. History 
records an estimate of the man, which is faithfully reflected 
in his autograph, viz.: "A man of strong common sense 
and decision of character, dignified, impartial, he always 
commanded respect." And so does his sign-manual. 




y^esy^scjz^ 




Florence Nightingale. As one of the most famous 
women of the century, our subject sets a good example" in 
the quiet neatness of. her signature, which seems to be in 
keeping with, the syllabic beauty of her name. Nor is it 
out of harmony with the idea which has caused a highly 
educated and brilliantly accomplished woman to devote her 
life most intensely to the alleviation of human suffering. 
No one has accomplished so much as she in perfecting the 
hospital system of the British army. FlorenceJNightingale's 
ingenuous autograph would probably be feelingly cherished 
by a larger number of persons than that of any other indi- 
vidual. 






Martin F: Tupper. The only distinguishing peculiar- 
ties of this signature are the overwrought flourish, the ec- 
centric use of colons for periods, and the self-sufficient ap- 
pearance oj the T. The eccentricities are, of course, forced ; 
the rest of the writing is wholly ordinary, and plain withal 
This is fairly descriptive of his poetic faculty. Without 
u Tupper, the immortal Tupper," witty literary critics would 
be deprived of a prolific source of mirth. .What are called 
"the people," however, have liked Tupper's almost gro- 
tesque platitudes immensely, and forty or fifty editions of 
his " Proverbial Philosophy " have been sold in England 
and the United States. No one of authority calls him a 
poet, in the accepted sense. His autograph is certainly 
commonplace enough in its natural characteristics to satisfy 
his admirers, and placidly pretentious enough in its pecu- 
liarities to meet the humor of his critics. 







Edwin Booth. Those who hav£ not had the privilege 
of seeing and hearing the great tragedian may learn some- 
thing 01 his method by a scrutiny of his sign-manual. The 
name of Booth has been a. synonym for splendid stage art 
for years and years. In the time of Gibber Barton, Booth 
played -the part of the ghost in Hamlet in so great a way 
that it became a matter of record for unequalled excellence. 
In our own time Edwin Booth stands without a peer in his 
accepted method. The very quick of his style lives in his 
autograph. It is preeminently heroic. And, like all things 
heroic nowadays, it occasionally over-reaches, and shows 
something like a snarl — perhaps, bathos. 




Percy B. Shelley. There is an ethereal, shadowy- 
effect about this singular chirography that is not lost by a 
continued scrutiny. It is idealistic, illusory, unsubstantial,, 
spirituelle. And of such was the genius of Shelley- 
Master of his realms, all who have attempted to follow 
have dropped by the way, surrounded by beauties even 
there they could not hope to reach." The practical Macau- 
lay has named him the "poet for poets," and most of us,, 
unless we belong to a "Shelley Society," will prefer his 
wayside pieces. In its own way, this autograph has as 
much that is distinctly and naturally genuine as that of the 
poet's fellow wanderer, Byron 



d^Cryifi^t^/^y^^Qll^vnt^ 



George The Count Joannes. There is no occasion 
for laughter now. The great and only original "uncrushed 
tragedian " was no imposter. He was genuine to the mar- 
row, and he leit no. doubt of his entire lack of spuriousness. 
He was an emphatic genius, as any one may see by the strong 
underscoring he gave to his sign-manual. His writing is not 
sensational; it is strong and earnest. His earnestness, as all 
old theatre-goers know, was such that he was wont to reject 
no tokens of the audience's appreciation, except full-sized 
cabbage buds, over ripe gallinaceous fruit, and the like. H*is 
titular name is not a corruption of plebian George Jones, but 
the acknowledgment of a divine inheritance. He is gone now, 
and we should gaze on his autograph as on that of one who 
has taken more than a mite from the dreary burden which 
humanity bears. 



WBH^SSWSS 



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Z/zrz*rz*sz, 




John Howard Payne. This handsome running sig- 
nature is without noticeable characteristics to distinguish it 
from the ordinary style of many good penmen. Payne was an 
actor, dramatist,*and general writer of not more than average 
attainments, but his name will outlive that of many a genius 
of high order, in connection with that perennial and univer- 
sal song, " Home, Sweet Home," the words of which, and 
not the air, originated with him. This song is said to have 
made the fortunes of all first connected with it, except its 
author. He suffered the hardships of 1 poverty, which his 
neat and accurate chirography might have averted if de- 
voted to the, humdrum duties of the counting room. 



"V 



XX /P^u>O^L_ 



B. P. Shillaber. Humorists rarely show anything 
characteristic of their quality in their pen-marks ; but as 
humorists are also rarely themselves when funny, it is 
hardly reasonable to look for public-known traits in their 
ink-tracings.' The fact that those whose business it is to 
create a laugh are most frequently persons of serious and 
even gloomy propensities, has been remarked in every 
generation. Without attempting to discover the peculi- 
arity of the inner spark whence ^springs the outer flash in 
this most universal of laugh producers, it must suffice to 
know that the above is one of "Mrs. Partington's" entirely 
acceptable autographs. ; 




Charles Carroll ^of Carrollton. The bluest of 
the famous blue, blood of Baltimore runs through every 
vein of the signature of the, greatest of the Carrolls of Car- 
rollton. The indigo hue is there, whatever acuteness may 
be necessary to distinguish it, for C. C. of C. was a de- 
scendant of the old Irish kings, the inheritor of a vast 
estate, and hence one of the richest men in the Colonies, 
the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence, and a man " whose manner and speech were those of 
a refined and courteous gentleman." We may admire these 
patrician pen-marks without reservation, for they are truly 
American. Nor must we regard the estate attachment, " of 
Carrollton," as aping an un-American custom, since it was 
used to distinguish the signer from a kinsman bearing his 
name. It is to be hoped that all the present Carrolls of 
Carrollton are not less democratic in their aspirations than 
the signer shows himself to have been in this autograph. 





m. 




4 



R.Wagner. There is no doubt that this is the com- 
poser's autograph, but as the letters are certainly not Ger- 
man nor English, nor anything else except Wagnerian, so far 
as can be discovered, it is somewhat rash to say what they 
spell. Nevertheless, the previous assertion is authoritative. 
And when you come to think of it, there is no reason why 
this autograph should not be regarded as an authentic 
specimen. It embodies the musical idea of its author to 
perfection. His doctrine in music is to photograph 
thoughts and deeds with sound by the avoidance- of melody, 
and to make the unhallowed public, see the invisible by 
means of pamphlets and reprints of favorable newspaper 
critiques. He has conquered the public and, according to 
one of his standard-bearers, has overcome even his ancient 
enemy, the French; £pr, as this interpreter remarks, the 
master cannot be ignored since " his music has made more 
noise in the world than, that of all other musicians put to- 
gether." (No italics in the original.) The majority of us 
may give in to the music, but never, never, to the auto- 
graph. 





^rt^Lrr 



Cu. O'Conor. Few signatures are so directly charac- * 
teristic of their author's intellectual tenets as that which 
dignifies this page. One who cannot see unqualified 
strength in its towering, rugged capitals, must deny nearly 
every palpable suggestion that handwriting can offer. In 
the proper spirit it is not difficult to discern logical vigor, 
clear cut purpose, and force of resolve in the impressive 
outlines. For his connection with the historic Slave Jack 
case and with the prosecution of the Tweed Ring, the gen- 
eral public will" long venerate the name of the great law- 
yer, but it is among his fellow-laborers we must go for the 
undoubtedly just estimate which recognizes in him the 
leading legal intellect of his time. His autograph may be 
regarded as the shadow of his mind. 




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Robert Burns. All who are familiar with the writ- 
ings of Burns must be struck with the singular patness, so 
to speak, of his autograph. Properly considered, it meets 
the requirements perfectly. It is an artless, open, school- 
boy sort of hand, that no one would tjiink of noticing 
under ordinary circumstances. And (this is not a paradox) 
Burns was ordinary in every way, and therein lies his extra- 
ordinary genius. No other poet has gone to the verge of 
inartificial beauty and unforced feeling. His Woodlark, 
with its realism and genuine sentimental cry, "For pity's 
sake, sweet bird, nae mair, Or my poor heart is broken, '** 
stands, alone of its kind. He wrote things as remarkable 
for their indecency as anything ever penned. No sane ad- 
mirer deifies these. He slipped into ways unnatural to his. 
life impulse, but he always returned to himself, and in his- 
thoughts as in his autograph, open simplicity and un- 
affected naturalness are the characteristics. 



-^^JHcmri&A CL(Jclufr<m. 



Th6mas A. Edison. All true citizens of this throbbing 
lancbaught to be proud of a man who can write his name 
this way when he feels like it. No graphologist dares to let 
his fancy play around these upright, half-print letters. The 
E looks slightly suspicious, however, and may hint at some- 
thing. But the comet! There's the mark. This wonder- 
ful phono-electro-magician, following the general law, must 
put himself into his autograph somewhere* The name 
proper may be prosaic and .suggestive of cash, but that im- 
mense sweep through the regions of the blank tells the, true 
tale The comet needs no interpreter. Every one knows 
ivhat its mission is in this place. 



' » ' » ' 





R. Bonheur. Bold design and picturesque effect are the 
best things to be said of this famous artist's sign manual. 
True it has an animated effect that may be called typical 
of her best efforts on the canvas, but this is not an affirma- 
tion to be made without an effort. That her best paintings 
are those of animal life in action goes unquestioned ; but 
that the spirit of the " Horse Fair " and other productions 
of a like nature is more than faintly shadowed in the above, 
is too much to say. As a whole, this autograph is unsatis- 
factory, puzzling, and representative of little that will stand 
for the quality of her work. 




Francois Coppee. More than any other class poets 
have the habit (sometimes conscious) of putting their mental 
quality into their autographs. This specimen of the hand- 
writing of the " most distinguished French poet since Victor 
Hugo," is remarkable for its photographic effect. We will 
let an acute analyzer of his poetry present the estimate : 
" In poetry as well as in personal adornment, filagree is 
sometimes very charming. A noticeable member of the 
filagree school of poets is M. Francois Coppee. He fash- 
ions his filagree so prettily that it would be hard to deny 
him the n-ame of poet. His faint little melodies in the 
minor key win us like seolian murmurs from shadowland.'* 
Further comment is unnecessary. 





Hernando Cortez. This autograph is historically 
correct. It should have first place in the celebrated Cist 
collection of eleven thousand autographs of as many illus- 
trious persons. It should go far in making up the value of 
the $100,000 Reich album. .» Can you trace the individual 
letters ? 



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